The event’s founders bill it as a variety show, and they’re not kidding. Masked wrestlers flipping off ropes is diverse enough for any crowd, even without the musical guests mixed in. And we haven’t even gotten to the burlesque dancers yet.

This is not your average variety show. This is Mondo Lucha.

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The event was first conceived about three years ago in Milwaukee when Mondo Lucha co-founders and longtime friends Andrew Gorzalski and Jay Gilkay went to check out a wrestling show at a local bar.

Gilkay, who admits the two had always been “closet wrestling fans,” said they were constantly on the lookout for something fun and different to do, but were disappointed with the performance they saw that night.

“It was so terrible, and we said we could totally do something like this and do it better,” Gilkay said. “That was the start of it all.”

Gorzalski and Gilkay went to work, trying to bring back the excitement and showmanship they felt was being lost in shows like that unfortunate bar performance. They named their new creation Mondo Lucha, packed it with back-to-back performances and let it loose on the Midwest, performing the first show in September 2008.

“Our show is a two-and-a-half to three hour spectacle,” Gilkay said. “It’s like the Milwaukee version of Cirque du Soleil, taking place in a wrestling ring.”

The group’s last performance was at The Congress Theatre in Chicago in May, and this weekend’s gig brings them back to their home city and marks their fifth time performing in Milwaukee.

The show’s primary entertainment is Mexican wrestling, called“lucha libre.” Spanish for “free wrestling,” the fighting style is epitomized by young, masked wrestlers called luchadors who fight with high-flying, acrobatic moves.

But interspersed between the wrestling matches is the rest of the variety: burlesque performances and musical acts, all by well-known performers in their fields.

“As far as bands go, we always try to find either one really hot band that everyone is into or someone who has had national exposure,” Gilkay said.

This weekend’s show features the indie pop music of Pezzettino (aka Margaret Stutt), who is returning to Milwaukee to promote her new album, “Lub Dub.” The album is a collaborative effort with Milwaukee hip-hop artist LMNtlyst, who will also be performing at Mondo Lucha.

The burlesque acts feature performers with national recognition as well, including Bella Sue DeVianti, Lola Van Ella, Vee Valentine and acrobatic group Gravity Plays Favorites.

Gilkay said he and Gorzalski make a point of keeping Mondo Lucha professional, and do not settle for amateur or inexperienced performers.

“Everybody involved in our show makes their living performing what they are doing, whether it be the wrestlers, dancers or musicians,” Gilkay said. “This isn’t just a weekend hobby for these people.”

Candice DeBruler, who performs as Bella Sue DeVianti, has been doing burlesque for five-and-a-half years and performed in several Mondo Lucha shows.

Introduced as “the busty hussy from Tuscany,” DeBruler said she likes performing in Mondo Lucha because of the unique atmosphere and the receptive crowds.

“I think that Jay has brought something really amazing to Milwaukee with Mondo Lucha,” DeBruler said. “It is a must-see show, and it has something for everyone.”

Where some variety shows seem to drag, Gilkay said Mondo Lucha always keeps the pace quick and engaging. The show transitions quickly from act to act, with each individual performance lasting no longer than seven minutes.

“Every couple of minutes there is something new happening,” Gilkay said.

The show’s pace is non-stop, acts starting and ending consecutively for the full two-and-a-half hours without any intermission. Gilkay said one of the largest complaints about the show is that there is not a break, but he does not see the need for one.

“We only do the show once, maybe twice, a year because we don’t want to burn the audience out,” Gilkay said. “We prefer the quality over quantity of the performances.”

Mondo Lucha is performing Saturday, Sept. 11 at Turner Hall Ballroom. The show starts at 8 p.m., and the doors open at 7 p.m. Tickets are $18.